Fibroids are usually benign growths of womb muscle. They are present in around 33% of white women and 50% of black women.

Fibroids are most common toward the end of the reproductive years and are more common in obese women and in women who have had no children; fibroid are also less common in smokers.

Most fibroids do not cause symptoms however, overall symptomatic fibroids accounts for about one third of all hysterectomies.

Different types of Fibroids

Fibroids are named depending there location:

Fibroids that lie within the muscle layer of the womb are called intramural fibroids. They usually give the uterus a globular feeling on examination and distort the internal cavity.

Subserosal fibroids project out from theoutersurface of the uterus and grow quite large. They are more likely to produce pressure symptoms rather than heavy periods or infertility.

Submucous fibroids are the least common. They project into the womb cavity, disrupting its shape. Submucous fibroids are most likely to cause fertility problems and can sometimes grow into and fill the uterus or alternatively grow outside the cervix.

What are the symptoms of Fibroids?

The most common complaints of women with fibroids include:

Pressure symptoms and heavy periods (this can lead to iron-deficiency anaemia)

Increased urinary symptoms due to an enlarged womb that places pressure on the bladder

Backache

Lower abdominal discomfort and pain during intercourse

Periods may be more painful than usual (called secondary dysmenorrhoea)